Fingering Forgetfulness

Not paying attention to finger numbers can mean that students have to practice twice as hard. Practising with the same carefully chosen fingers each time is much more efficient.

Fingering Forgetfulness: Finger Aloud

Saying the fingering aloud will not only help your student to pay attention to it, but will highlight any differences between what they’re using and what’s notated.

Steps

• Ask your student to begin playing, one hand at a time, while saying the finger numbers.
• If there is a difference between what she says and what she plays, stop her and ask her to explain the logic of each choice.
• Try also having her play hands together, saying just the fingering from one hand at a time.
• Assign practice while saying the fingering aloud at home.

Fingering Forgetfulness: Fingering Overload

It might seem counterintuitive to add more fingerings if your student is ignoring them, but sometimes a fingering immersion is just the ticket.

Steps

• Ask your student to put a finger number for every single note in her piece. Start this at the lesson and assign more finger number notation for homework.
• Help her to make good fingering choices along the way.
• Once the number is written in, she has to follow every single one, every single time. No exceptions! She’s allowed to change them of course if she likes, but all changes should be written on the score.